Picture

Picture

Monday, February 16, 2015

Job and his hope...


It would be easy to start reading the book of Job, get about 5 chapters into it, get bored, and skip to the Psalms. Let’s face it, Job is a difficult book to read for many reasons. First, Job is forty-two chapters long. Second, almost all of Job is poetic conversations that are very lengthy to say the least. Third, and most importantly, Job deals with a controversial issue that everyone with a brain has pondered at some time in their life.

You have this guy, whose name is Job, who follows God closely. God even says Job is, “blameless and upright.” He has ten children, who he watches after closely, and an incredible amount of wealth. Then, all of a sudden, everything is gone. Some of his possessions are stolen, some destroyed, and worst of all his children die in a horrific “natural” disaster. Now this is obviously a sad state of affairs, but it gets worse. The controversy that makes it difficult to swallow is the fact that God allowed Satan to destroy all of Job’s possessions and his children…

In 21st century America we tend to view God as a sweet, yet weak, being that will bless you in this life if you just work hard, college degree, and get a good job. Sounds a lot like Karma doesn’t it? Unfortunately, as the Tea Party and the Occupy movement have so clearly communicated, that is just not the case. Something seems wrong with the world when you work hard, get an education, and follow your dreams only to find out that the world does not bow down to you just because you have a piece of paper that says G.P.A 3.5 written in bold letters.

So why does God allow such horrible things to happen? I mean look around at the world and you will see poverty, war, babies being systematically murdered legally, and many other forms of suffering. So if God is all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing why would he allow these horrible tragedies to happen? One answer I have heard recently is that he is too weak to change it. If that is what you think, then think about this, “If God was able to create the entire universe, why do you think is incapable of handling his creation?” It seems to me that managing conflict would be much easier than creating everything out of nothing.

Another answer that is possible is this: “God is in the process of doing something, the details of which we may not completely understand.” Many people reject this view outright because it assumes that human beings may not have it all figured out. This view also takes the steering wheel of eternity out of the hands of scientists, politicians, and every other power hungry group looking to set the pace for progress.

Throughout Job’s conversations with his friends he consistently hopes for something beyond this life that God will do to make things right. Here is an example of one of Job's cries for help…(Job 16:19-22)

19Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high. 20My friends scorn me; My eye pours out tears to God, 21that he would argue the case of a man with God. as a son of man does with his neighbor. 22For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

Job had an idea that something greater must be happening in heaven, that God would not forget him.

Now when you experience crisis of some kind, may you know that there is a reason to hope. There is a reason to press through the pain and suffering. His name is Jesus and he came to rescue his people from their sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Please, consider the implications...

2 comments: